Self Reflection on the DNP program

Student creates a table with short-term goals (1-2 years), 3 intermediate-term goals (3-5 years), and 3 long-term goals (6-10 years) related to her or his career path as a nurse practitioner

Short-Term Goals

Intermediate Goals

Long-Term Goals

· Become a certified board member

· Begin prospecting and obtaining relevant job experience within my field.

· Engage in prominent research and establish a brand within the industry

· Selection of patient population and look to evaluate potential employers

· Join and hold leadership positions within a professional organization within the nursing profession

· Look to give back to the community and other students in the form of mentorships and professional help

· Identify and foster a relationship with a mentor

· Continue to establish and grow my professional contacts within the industry

· Look to teach other students on a part-time basis in an academic setting

Student includes at least two strategies for how he or she will meet each goal and at least one objective measure that will evaluate success

As it relates to specific strategies, the short-term goals will be heavily influenced through communication and leveraging the schools professional development tools. Here, my first strategy will look to identify a position in which I can best use my skills, abilities and passion to deliver value added serves to patients. By first selecting my specific population, I can ensure that I am better able to network within the given field. Once I use this strategy to select a patient population, I will then look for employers and in particularly individual’s that I admire within the industry. Through this identification, I aim to develop a relationship of mentorship that will last throughout my career. Finally, after the first goals have been met, I will look to become a certified board member to improve my confidence as a nurse practitioner. Here, time management will be critical and thus my strategy will be involved dedicated a few hours each day to study related specifically to the exam (Catalano, 2015).

For intermediate goals, the strategy is very similar to the short-term goals. Here, I will look to leverage my research conducted in my first few years to manifest my intermediate goals. I will look to join a professional organization, and continue the networking strategy discussed above. I will look to be intentionally about keeping in contact with individuals via LinkedIn and participation in professional organizations. I intend to challenge myself through leadership positions within these professional organization. The strategy through this goal is to better prepare me for challenging instances within the industry and improve my soft skills related to team work and communication. Next, I will leverage this activity to further expand my knowledge of employers to gauge future job prospects within the industry.

Finally, my longer-term goals are heavily centered around giving back to others in the healthcare community and to other students starting their DNP journey. Here, my strategy is to first engage in research that can be constructive to the overall profession and healthcare community. Through the contacts that I developed through the prior years, I hope to engage with fellow researchers with like-minded ambitions and goals. Next, my strategy involves reaching out to other students to provide mentorship similar to what I aim to receive as I begin my transition into the DNP program. The strategy will center around maintaining strong contacts with those in the profession along with the academic community (Masters, 2017).

Student includes a 500 word reflection on the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree using at least 5 evidenced-based articles found through an academic library search that are no older than 5 years Student will analyze and evaluate (1) the history and purpose of the DNP, (2) the current state of the DNP, (3) the future state of the DNP; (4) how DNP-prepared APNs will assist with transformative healthcare and help solve complex health problems, and (5) the advantages of having the DNP; and

The Doctor of Nursing Practice is the highest-ranking terminal degree within the nursing profession. Many who obtain this degree and distinction are sought after for nursing leadership roles throughout the entire healthcare spectrum of service. Those who obtain the DNP typically focus heavily on clinical applications and often are critical figures that influence the future of healthcare in the United States. Many professional focuses heavily on emerging technologies and how they can be adapted to improve healthcare outcomes for patients. As a result, DNP nurses often are considered to possess the highest level of expertise in both leadership and within a clinical setting. Many practitioners also have a broad array of soft skills including communication, health policy implementation, leadership, and strong experiences with patient care. A DNP is designed to prepare high level practitioners for a variety of healthcare relates circumstances, and provides them with the necessary expertise and ability to flourish within these circumstances. According to recent research conducted by McCauley, roughly 14% of nurses hold a DNP degree. Salary ranges for those graduating with a DNP vary but most receive roughly $94,000 to $102,000 in base salary (McCauley, 2020).